Dr Michael Harbottle
Director of Recruitment and Admissions
- harbottlem@cardiff.ac.uk
- +44 (0)29 2087 5759
- W/2.33, Queen's Buildings - West Building, 5 The Parade, Newport Road, Cardiff, CF24 3AA
- Media commentator
Prospective research students I am happy to consider applications for PhD study from high quality applicants with existing funding, or those intending to apply for an external scholarship, in areas which correspond to my fields of expertise, described below. Please contact me via email. Any funded studentships or postdoctoral research positions that become available will be advertised on jobs.ac.uk, findaphd.com or the School of Engineering`s webpages.
Current Interests Currently, my group is undertaking work in a number of areas of civil and environmental engineering. I am particularly interested in four general areas:
- Interactions between civil and geotechnical engineering and biology (‘biogeotechnics’). Many organisms, particularly plants and microorganisms, have the potential to impact on soil structure and properties. We are developing a number of projects in this area, for example in situ biofilm growth for soil stabilisation and self-healing of geotechnical structures.
- Biotechnology in contaminated land remediation. We are using living organisms, both plants and microorganisms, in a range of projects. These include dealing directly with contamination through bioremediation as well as using biological methods to enhance other techniques, particularly those that are operated in situ, such as pump and treat or electrokinetics.
- Electrical properties of soil and groundwater. We are using electrokinetic techniques for the remediation of metal- and organic-contaminated ground, as well as investigations of potential energy applications.
- Resource recovery from waste. Many waste repositories contain significant quantities of valuable elements but their recovery has been considered uneconomic or not feasible (or both). We are investigating technologies for material recovery in a range of waste types.
Major Projects
- Resilient Materials for Life (RM4L) (EPSRC, EP/P02081X/1, £6.0M, 2017-2022), with Cambridge, Bath and Bradford Universities, builds on the technologies developed in the M4L project (see below) to achieve a transformation in construction materials using a biomimetic approach to create materials that will adapt to their environment, develop immunity to harmful actions, self-diagnose the on-set of deterioration and self-heal when damaged.
- INSPIRE (In situ processes in resource extraction) is a project led by Cardiff, with Warwick University and the University of the West of England, investigating the potential for recovery of valuable resource from waste repositories through in-situ technologies (NERC, NE/L013908/1, £1.3M, 2014-2018).
- Materials for Life (M4L) (EPSRC, EP/K026631/1, £2.1M, 2013-2016) was the first major UK investigation into self-healing construction materials. Together with Cambridge and Bath Universities, we are working on multi-scale self-healing mechanisms to produce new materials with significantly enhanced durability and sustainability.
Current research students
- Khabeer Al-Awad is exploring the effect of biological exudates (‘biofilm’) on soil mechanical and hydrological properties. Such materials are known to affect particulate media properties in certain environments, such as seabed sediments, and so may be harnessed for engineering purposes.
- Stefani Botusharova is applying the concepts of self-healing materials, previously considered in cementitious, polymeric and other materials, to soil structures. Stefani’s studentship is supported by BRE, as part of the EPSRC-funded ‘Materials for Life’ project on self-healing construction materials (Grant Ref. EP/K026631/1).
- Chen Chunhui (supported by the China Scholarship Council) is exploring the contribution of microbial and plant based exudates to the geotechnical performance of planted soils.
- Sunday Akinsola Oniosun has studied multiphase interactions of plant roots in unsaturated, NAPL-contaminated soils.
- Claudia Peppicelli is researching electrokinetically enhanced in-situ resource recovery from waste (part of the NERC-funded INSPIRE project).
- Steven Warwick is appraising technologies for in/ex-situ resource recovery from waste.
- Syed Muaaz-us-Salam is researching the enhancement of delignification and subsequent methane generation in wastes in situ, particularly in terms of overcoming issues of heterogeneity (supported by the Environmental Research and Education Foundation Doctoral Scholarship).
- Christine Spencer is researching aspects of self-healing in microbially induced carbonate precipitation in soils as part of the EPSRC-funded RM4L project (see above).
Completed PhD projects
- Richard Gill (based at the University of Sheffield, co-supervised with Dr S Thornton and Prof J Smith (Shell)) investigated heterogeneity and electrokinetic transport of ions in supplying electron acceptors for enhanced biodegradation.
- Ahmed Mugwar worked on biological stabilisation of inorganic contamination, particular heavy metals and elements of interest in radionuclide contamination.
- Paris Alshiblawi explored the use of microbiological activity and bioclogging to manage sub-surface water flow.
- Dan Herbert employed scale model tests and 3D digital image correlation (DIC) techniques in a geotechnical centrifuge to study flood loading on masonry walls.
- Katherine Page investigated use of compost-like organic wastes as a substrate for short rotation coppicing on brownfield sites.
- Ziad Milad studied the impact of landfill leachate on basic geotechnical properties of natural soil in Kuwait.
I have been a lecturer and now senior lecturer in geoenvironmental engineering at Cardiff University School of Engineering since September 2006. Following a Masters in Engineering at Oxford University, I joined Fugro Limited (UK), working on offshore and onshore site investigation and engineering. I then returned to Oxford University as a doctoral student working with the NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (Oxford). Postdoctoral work at Cambridge University Engineering Department followed, with the SUBR:IM (Sustainable Urban Brownfield Regeneration: Integrated Management) consortium. Whilst in Cambridge, I was elected Fellow of Robinson College.
Committees and reviewing
Member of EPSRC Peer Review College (2017 onwards)
Institution of Civil Engineers Wales Ground Engineering Group - Chair (2015-17), vice chair (2014-15)
Institution of Civil Engineers Education Policy Panel (2012-)
Editorial Panel for Proceeding of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Ground Improvement (2016 onwards)
Editorial Panel for Geotechnique (2013-2016)
2020
- Muaaz-Us-Salam, S., Cleall, P. J. and Harbottle, M. J. 2020. Application of enzymatic and bacterial biodelignification systems for enhanced breakdown of model lignocellulosic wastes. Science of the Total Environment 728, article number: 138741. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138741)
- Botusharova, S., Gardner, D. and Harbottle, M. 2020. Augmenting microbially induced carbonate precipitation of soil with the capability to self-heal. Journal of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Engineering 146(4), article number: 4020010. (10.1061/(ASCE)GT.1943-5606.0002214)
- Harbottle, M. 2020. The circular geoenvironment - maximising geoenvironmental services to minimize environmental harm. Presented at: Geoenvironment 2020, Delhi, India, 17-21 Feb 2020.
2019
- Oniosun, S.et al. 2019. Plant growth, root distribution and non-aqueous phase liquid phytoremediation at the pore-scale. Journal of Environmental Management 249, article number: 109378. (10.1016/j.jenvman.2019.109378)
- Chen, C., Wu, L. and Harbottle, M. 2019. Influence of biopolymer gel-coated fibres on sand reinforcement as a model of plant root behaviour. Plant and Soil 438(1-2), pp. 361-375. (10.1007/s11104-019-04033-w)
- Muaaz-Us-Salam, S., Cleall, P. J. and Harbottle, M. J. 2019. The case for examining fluid flow in municipal solid waste at the pore-scale - A review. Waste Management and Research 37(4), pp. 315-332. (10.1177/0734242X19828120)
- Nardi, C. D.et al. 2019. Self- healing lime-based mortars using biological mechanisms and microvascular networks. Presented at: 5th Historic Mortars Conference, Pamplona, Spain, 19-21 June 2019. pp. -.
- Chen, C., Wu, L. and Harbottle, M. 2019. Exploring the effect of biopolymers in near-surface soils using xanthan gum-modified sand under shear. Canadian Geotechnical Journal (10.1139/cgj-2019-0284)
2018
- Oniosun, S.et al. 2018. Phytoremediation of light non-aqueous phase liquids. Presented at: The International Congress on Environmental Geotechnics, Hangzhou, China, 38 Oct - 1 Nov 2018Proceedings of the 8th International Congress on Environmental Geotechnics, Vol. 1. Singapore: Springer pp. 788-795., (10.1007/978-981-13-2221-1_89)
- Warwick, S.et al. 2018. Altered chemical evolution in landfill leachate post implementation of biodegradable waste diversion. Waste Management and Research 36(9), pp. 857-868. (10.1177/0734242X18785723)
- Herbert, D.et al. 2018. Performance of single skin masonry walls subjected to hydraulic loading. Materials and Structures 51, article number: 97. (10.1617/s11527-018-1222-z)
- Peppicelli, C.et al. 2018. Changes in metal speciation and mobility during electrokinetic treatment of industrial wastes: implications for remediation and resource recovery. Science of the Total Environment 624, pp. 1488-1503. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.12.132)
- Theodoridou, M. and Harbottle, M. 2018. Preventing deterioration of construction geo-materials; the new concept of biological self-healing for porous building stone. Presented at: European Geosciences Union General Assembly 2018, Vienna, Austria, 8-13 April 2018.
- Theodoridou, M. and Harbottle, M. 2018. Biological self-healing for the protection of cultural heritage stone structures. Presented at: Japan Geoscience Union Meeting 2018, Chiba, Japan, 20-24 May 2018.
2017
- Munoz Criollo, J., Cleall, P. and Harbottle, M. 2017. Coupled biomass growth and flow in unsaturated soil. Presented at: International Symposium on Coupled Phenomena in Environmental Geotechnics, University of Leeds, 6 - 7 September 2017.
- Sapsford, D. J., Cleall, P. and Harbottle, M. 2017. In situ resource recovery from waste repositories: exploring the potential for mobilization and capture of metals from anthropogenic ores. Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy 3(2), pp. 375-392. (10.1007/s40831-016-0102-4)
- Muaaz-Us-Salam, S., Cleall, P. and Harbottle, M. 2017. Enhanced delignification and methane generation in waste repositories-overcoming heterogeneity. Presented at: Proceedings Sardinia 2017 / Sixteenth International Waste Management and Landfill Symposium, S. Margherita di Pula, Cagliari, Italy, 2 - 6 October 2017. pp. -.
2016
- Gill, R. T.et al. 2016. Sustainability assessment of electrokinetic bioremediation compared with alternative remediation options for a petroleum release site. Journal of Environmental Management 184(1), pp. 120-131. (10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.07.036)
- Mugwar, A. J. and Harbottle, M. J. 2016. Toxicity effects on metal sequestration by microbially-induced carbonate precipitation. Journal of Hazardous Materials 314 (10.1016/j.jhazmat.2016.04.039)
- Harbottle, M., Mugwar, A. and Botusharova, S. 2016. Aspects of implementation and long-term performance of biologically induced mineralisation of carbonates in porous media. Presented at: 26th Goldschmidt Conference, Yokohama, Japan, 26 June - 1 July 2016. pp. 1051.
- Gill, R. T.et al. 2016. Effect of physical heterogeneity on the electromigration of nitrate in layered granular porous media. Electrochimica Acta 199, pp. 59-69. (10.1016/j.electacta.2016.02.191)
- Roberts, M.et al. 2016. In situ microbial dissolution of iron mineral-bearing wastes for metal recovery. Presented at: 3rd International Symposium on Enhanced Landfill Mining, Lisbon, Portugal, February 2016.
- Sapsford, D. J., Cleall, P. J. and Harbottle, M. J. 2016. In situ resource recovery from waste repositories: exploring the potential for mobilisation and capture of metals from anthropogenic ores. Presented at: 3rd International Symposium on Enhanced Landfill Mining, Lisbon, Portugal, February 2016.
- Peppicelli, C.et al. 2016. Electrokinetic treatment in the recovery of valuable metals from waste repositories: Metal speciation and transient behaviour of metals during EK. Presented at: 3rd International Symposium on Enhanced Landfill Mining, Lisbon, Portugal, February 2016.
- Harbottle, M. 2016. Engineering successful bioremediation. In: Lear, G. ed. Biofilms in Bioremediation. Caister Academic Press, pp. 3-22.
2015
- Gill, R. T.et al. 2015. Electrokinetic migration of nitrate through heterogeneous granular porous media. Ground Water Monitoring and Remediation 35(3), pp. 46-56. (10.1111/gwmr.12107)
- Harbottle, M. J.et al. 2015. Electrokinetic biosparging of toluene in groundwater. Environmental Geotechnics 2(EG1), pp. 26-33. (10.1680/envgeo.13.00047)
- Al-Tabbaa, A. and Harbottle, M. 2015. Self-healing materials and structures for geotechnical and geo-environmental applications. Presented at: XVI European Conference on Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, Edinburgh, 13-17 September 2015Proceedings of the XVI ECSMGE Geotechnical Engineering for Infrastructure and Development. ICE Publishing pp. 589-594.
2014
- Mugwar, A. and Harbottle, M. J. 2014. Biomineralisation of metals in soil – effect of metal toxicity and precipitation as a protective mechanism. Presented at: 7th International Congress on Environmental Geotechnics, Melbourne, Australia, 9-14 November 2014 Presented at Bouazza, A., Yuen, S. and Brown, B. eds.Proceedings of the 7th International Congress on Environmental Geotechnics. Engineers Australia pp. 1136-1142.
- Gill, R. T.et al. 2014. Influence of 2D physical heterogeneity on the electromigration of nitrate. Presented at: 13th Symposium on Electrokinetic Remediation, Malaga, Spain, 7-10 September 2014 Presented at Maroto, J. M. R. et al. eds.Proceedings of the 13th Symposium on Electrokinetic Remediation. pp. 61-63.
- Page, K.et al. 2014. Heavy metal leaching and environmental risk from the use of compost-like output as an energy crop growth substrate. Science of the Total Environment 487, pp. 260-271. (10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.04.021)
- Gill, R. T.et al. 2014. Electrokinetic-enhanced bioremediation of organic contaminants: A review of processes and environmental applications. Chemosphere 107, pp. 31-42. (10.1016/j.chemosphere.2014.03.019)
- Harbottle, M. J.et al. 2014. Self-healing soil: Biomimetic engineering of geotechnical structures to respond to damage. Presented at: 7th International Congress on Environmental Geotechnics, Melbourne, Australia, 9-14 November 2014 Presented at Bouazza, A., Yuen, S. and Brown, B. eds.Proceedings of the 7th International Congress on Environmental Geotechnics. Engineers Australia pp. 1121-1128.
2013
- Harbottle, M. J., Zhang, J. and Gardner, D. R. 2013. Combined physical and biological gel-based healing of cementitious materials. Presented at: Fourth International Conference on Self-Healing Materials (ICSHM2013), Ghent, Belgium, 16-18 June 2013Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Self-Healing Materials. Ghent: Universiteit Gent pp. 207-210.
- Herbert, D. M.et al. 2013. Uniform lateral load capacity of small-scale masonry wall panels. Materials and Structures n/a (10.1617/s11527-013-0092-7)
- Gill, R.et al. 2013. Stimulating in situ bioremediation in electron acceptor-limited zones by nitrate delivery using electrokinetics in a model scale aquifer. Presented at: 12th International UFZ-Deltares Conference on Groundwater-Soil-Systems and Water Resource Management, Barcelona, Spain, 16-19 April 2013.
2012
- Page, K.et al. 2012. Heavy metal content of recycled organic wastes and potential bioaccumulation in short rotation coppice when used as a nutrient source. Presented at: ISWA World Solid Waste Congress, Florence, Italy, 17-19 September 2012.
- Herbert, D. M.et al. 2012. The strength of masonry walls when subject to flood loading. Presented at: 15th International Brick & Block Masonry Conference (15th IBMaC), Florianopolis, Brazil, 3-6 June 2012.
2011
- Herbert, D. M.et al. 2011. The development of a new method for testing the lateral load capacity of small-scale masonry walls using a centrifuge and digital image correlation. Construction and Building Materials 25(12), pp. 4465-4476. (10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2011.02.002)
2009
- Harbottle, M. J.et al. 2009. Enhanced biodegradation of pentachlorophenol in unsaturated soil using reversed field electrokinetics. Journal of Environmental Management 90(5), pp. 1893-1900. (10.1016/j.jenvman.2008.12.012)
2008
- Harbottle, M. J., Al-Tabbaa, A. and Evans, C. W. 2008. Sustainability of Land Remediation. Part 2: Impact Assessment. Proceedings of the ICE - Geotechnical Engineering 161(3), pp. 117-127. (10.1680/geng.2008.161.3.117)
- Harbottle, M. J., Al-Tabbaa, A. and Evans, C. W. 2008. Sustainability of Land Remediation. Part 1: Overall Analysis. Proceedings of the ICE - Geotechnical Engineering 161(2), pp. 75-92. (10.1680/geng.2008.161.2.75)
- Harbottle, M. J. and Al-Tabbaa, A. 2008. Degradation of 2-chlorobenzoic acid in stabilised/solidified soil systems. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation 61(2), pp. 173-181. (10.1016/j.ibiod.2007.07.002)
2007
- Harbottle, M. J.et al. 2007. Magnetic resonance imaging of the effect of zeolite on lithium uptake in poplar. Environmental Science & Technology 41(10), pp. 3444-3448. (10.1021/es0623111)
- Harbottle, M. J., Al-Tabbaa, A. and Evans, C. W. 2007. A comparison of the technical sustainability of in situ stabilisation / solidification with disposal to landfill. Journal of Hazardous Materials 141(2), pp. 430-440. (10.1016/j.jhazmat.2006.05.084)
- Lear, G.et al. 2007. Impact of electrokinetic remediation on microbial communities within PCP contaminated soil. Environmental Pollution 146(1), pp. 139-146. (10.1016/j.envpol.2006.06.037)
- Harbottle, M. J. and Al-Tabbaa, A. 2007. Uncovering the true impacts of remediation. Technical Report.
- Al-Tabbaa, A., Harbottle, M. J. and Evans, C. W. 2007. Robust sustainable technical solutions. In: Dixon, T. et al. eds. Sustainable Brownfield Regeneration: Liveable Places from Problem Spaces. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 203-232.
- Ouki, S. K.et al. 2007. Novel special-purpose composts for sustainable remediation. In: Dixon, T. et al. eds. Sustainable Brownfield Regeneration: Liveable Places from Problem Spaces. Oxford: Wiley- Blackwell, pp. 177 -202.
2006
- Harbottle, M. J., Al-Tabbaa, A. and Evans, C. W. 2006. Assessing the true technical / environmental impacts of contaminated land remediation - a case study of containment, disposal and no action. Land Contamination and Reclamation 14(1), pp. 85-99.
- Harbottle, M. J. and Al-Tabbaa, A. 2006. Combining stabilisation/ solidification with biodegredation to enhance long-term remediation performance. Presented at: 2nd IASTED International Conference on Advanced Technology in the Environmental Field, Lanzarote, Spain.
2005
- Harbottle, M. J., Al-Tabbaa, A. and Evans, C. W. 2005. The technical sustainability of in situ stabilisation/ solidification. Presented at: International Conference on Stabilisation/ Solidification Treatment and Remediation, Cambridge, UK.
2004
- Lear, G.et al. 2004. The effect of electrokinetics on soil microbial communities. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 36(11), pp. 1751-1760. (10.1016/j.soilbio.2004.04.032)
- Sills, G. C.et al. 2004. The structure of soil. Presented at: Alec Skempton Memorial Conference, Royal Geographical Society, London, UK.
- Harbottle, M. and Brown, M. J. 2004. Brownie points. Ground Engineering Magazine, pp. 28-30.
2001
- Harbottle, M. J.et al. 2001. Movement of pentachlorophenol in usaturated soil by electrokinetics. Presented at: 3rd Symposium on Electrokinetic Remediation, Karlsruhe, Germany.
I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. My current teaching is as follows:
Materials & Construction (1st year)
Professional Studies & Construction (2nd year)
Environmental Geotechnics (3rd year)
Major projects (3rd year)
Case study & dissertation (MSc)
Contracts
| Title | People | Sponsor | Value | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| In Situ Recovery of Resources from Waste Repositories | Sapsford D, Griffiths A, Harbottle M, Mahdi T, Cleall P | NERC | 56803 | 01/04/2013 - 30/09/2013 |
| Investigation into Tar Contamination in the Blaenaovon mine water treatment scheme | Sapsford D, Harbottle M | The Coal Authority | 2090 | 01/03/2011 - 31/08/2011 |
| To develop Ford's capacity in resource efficiency and environmental performance through improvements in waste management and effluent treatment | Sapsford D, Harbottle M | KTP and Ford Motor Company Ltd | 125710 | 01/09/2010 - 31/08/2012 |
| In situ recovery of resources from waste repositories | Sapsford D, Harbottle M, Cleall P, Mahdi T, Weightman A (BIOSI) | NERC | 671454 | 02/06/2014 - 01/06/2017 |
| Response of pollutant chemistry, pathways and mobility to Short Rotation Forestry on brownfield Sites | Dr PJ Cleall, DR MJ Harbottle | Forest Research | 27500 | 01/10/2010 - 30/09/2013 |
| Developing the sustainable laboratory - Waste | Brennan P, Gregory C, Whitmarsh L, Cullen-Unswa, Harbottle M | HEFCW | 8999 | 01/11/2011 - 31/07/2012 |
| Self-healing geotechnical structures through microbiological action | Harbottle M, Gardner D | BRE | 60000 | 01/10/2013 - 30/09/2016 |
| Biological reactors as replacement to activated carbon filters for the treatment of contaminated groundwater | Harbottle M, Sapsford D, Mahdi T | Celtic Technologies | 25000 | 01/11/2010 - 31/10/2011 |
| Materials for life (M4L): Biomimetic multi-scale damage immunity for construction materials | Lark R, Gardner D, Jefferson A, Harbottle M | EPSRC | 1672025 | 01/04/2013 - 31/03/2016 |
Supervised Students
| Title | Student | Status | Degree |
|---|---|---|---|
| Biopreciption of Heavy Metals and Radionuclides with Calcium Carbonate in Aqueous Solutions and Particulate Media | MUGWAR Ahmed | Thesis Submitted | PhD |
| DEVELOPMENT OF BESPOKE DESIGN CRITERIA FOR MINE WATER TREATMENT. | SUTTON Alex | Current | PhD |
| Developmemt Of A Methodology For The Physiochemical Charaterisation Of A Cutting Fluid Based Sludge | SUTTON Alex | Graduate | MPhil |
| IN SITU PROCESSES IN RESOURCE EXTRACTION FROM WASTE REPOSITORIES | PEPPICELLI Claudia | Current | PhD |
| An Investigation of the strength of brickwork walls when subject to flood loading. | HERBERT Daniel | Graduate | PhD |
| Use Of Recycled Organic Wastes As Nutrient Sources To Aid The Growth Of Energy Crops On Brownfield Sites | PAGE Katherine | Graduate | PhD |
| Mechanisms of the Removal of Metals from Acid and Neutral Mine Water under varying Redox Systems | FLORENCE Kay | Graduate | PhD |
| BIOLOGICAL STABILISATION OF GRANULAR SOIL. (CIVIL ENGINEERING/GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING). | AL AWAD Khabeer Abdulameer Jaber | Current | PhD |
| In situ processes in resource extraction from waste repositories. | ROBERTS Mark Thomas | Current | PhD |
| Enhancing groundwater remediation techniques through microbiological control of fluid flow | ALSHIBLAWI Paris | Thesis Submitted | PhD |
| SELF-HEALING IN SOILS. | BOTUSHAROVA Stefani Petrova | Current | PhD |
| Methodologies for the prediction and evaluation of potential resources within landfills | WARWICK Steven John | Current | PhD |
| Long Term phytoremediation of LNAPLS and residual oils in the vadose zone and capillary fringe. | ONIOSUN Sunday | Current | PhD |
| An Experimental Investigation Of Landfill Leachate Impact On Surrounding Soil | MILAD Ziad Abdelsalam | Graduate | PhD |